Nottingham five-piece Dog is Dead treated us to an intimate acoustic set at Truck Store this evening, showcasing material from their recent release All Our Favourite Stories. Much of the performance was well-trodden ground for the band, who have earned their young and enthusiastic fanbase through relentless touring – including multiple Oxford shows – in the past two years.

The new songs hold up well next to older material, with more of an emphasis on fleshing out their sound with swelling, harmonising choruses. While they didn’t quite reach the meticulously melodic heights of a band like Fleet Foxes, the potential is clear to see; the acoustic setting draws attention to their vocal strengths, and they’ve got the indie-jazz fusion thing pretty much nailed. This album launch was also a testament to the increasingly successful efforts to make Truck Store a hub for live music and new releases, and a hive of general enthusiasm for music in Oxford.

So smoothly did Dog Is Dead whip through these handful of songs that I left feeling the urge to listen to Meursault or The Mountain Goats – something rough around the edges that doesn’t slot into place between slick-but-dull indie big timers like The Maccabees or Bombay Bicycle Club. Despite that, it’s hard to fault such a flawless performance, and what is a highly listenable debut album. Here’s hoping a second album will push them towards originality and not another misplaced electronic renaissance.